Musical instrument valve



Sept. 27, 1932. P. F. PETERSEN MUSICAL INSTRUMENT VALVE Filed Dec. 11 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet Tel er Fpefenserv By v Sept. 27, 1932. p E PETERSEN 1,879,462

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT VALVE Filed Dec. 11, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 G 4 P 2 a i I? "Z15 Q 3 I Inventor c 7576/1 Pea e/"sew w /9 By I! flllomey Patented Sept. 27, 1932 PETER I. 2120mm, 0'! CARBONDILE, OKLAHOMA MUSICAL HBTRUHENTVALVE mpllcat'ton' nledi December 11, 1881.

The present-invention. to do with an improved piston valve such asis used in the construction of musical. instruments such as,

trumpets, cornets, valved trombones and. the like;

The valve constituting the novelty of the present invention. is primarily, but not necessarily, designed for incorporation in: the triple valve ensemble of a present-day type ofitrumpet.

Incidentally, valves ofthis. species are frequently referred.v to as reciprocable piston! and is thereby subjected to the presence of undue frictional contact; Inasmuch as valvesof this type are hamperedin'operation by condensate accumulations and surface film,it is obvious that the valve action is imped'ed. v p

The present invention comprehends an. ar-

3 rangement which is destined to minimize friction and to promote buoyant valve action,

and this is accomplished. by provision. of a valve novel construction and assembly calculated to function with the requisite. precision.

Using theexpression advisedly, I havedeveloped a fioating piston valve and cylinder construction designed to. penmit the valve n 4 effort on the part of the-performer;

In addition, 13 have devised aunique valve stem and mounting-therefor maintain the proper alinement and centering so as to per 45 mit the desired". fioatage properties to be emto operate lightly and without appreciableserlal No. 580,30."-

bodied in. the construction in ateasible man.- ner.

In the drawings i Figure 1. is an elevational viewofa piston. air control valve of the type specified dis- 9' closing one embodiment thereof.

Flg. 2 isa: longitudinal sectional view withthe movable parts. of the valve in elevation.

Fig. 3' is an elevational view at tliepiston valveper so.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the guide and sus-- taining disk;

Fig. 5- is a top edge view of the notched cylinder.

Fig.. 6 is a: longitudinal section thru the I cylinder...

Fig.-

is afragmentary sectional and; elevational. view'showing. the return. spring mounting.

Fig.8 is a. sectional view of theguide disln. 9..

Fig. 9 is a view like Fig. 2 showing asimp ifiedi valve construction.

The principle of the invention is. fundamentally the samein both embodimentsot the invention illustrated in Figs. 2 and-.9 respec 7m tively. I

In'Fi'gFQ' the casing is shown: as composed. of upper and: lower threadedly connected sections, the'l'ower section being in'the form. of an. open-ended tube. and constituting the: m cylinder 10: This is threaded at its lower end: to accommodate a. suitable. closure. 11 and threaded atv its: upper end to accommiodate a. suitably ornamented. valve stem protector or housing. 12.

The knurled removable cap isindicated at. 13 and centrally apertured to accommodate the cylindrical stem. 14 of the depressible plunger. The: stem 14 is provided with a detachable finger piece 15.

Referring momentarily to Fig... itwillbe observed that the lower end. of

the stem 1A is threaded and provi dedfwith an abutment flange I6, and on the underside of the flange with an annulus 17 defining a spring. oi

spacing ring collar for the coiled return spring 18.

The piston valve is denoted in Fig. 3 by the numeral 19 and is provided with suitable ports 20. The cross sectional diameter of the body portion of the piston is proportioned with respect to the internal diameter of the cylinder to provide a space between the adjacent surfaces of these parts. Moreover, the piston is faceted with upper and lower packing rings 21 and 22 which are preferably formed integral and in tight sliding contact with the cylinder to provide the requisite airtight joints.

The piston rod may be described as bifurcated and the furcations are denoted by the numeral 23, these being segmental in cross sectional shape with the upper terminal threaded as shown in Fig. 7 to accommodate threaded extensions of 14. These furcations constitute alining guides for the piston valves and pass up through guide passages 24 in the upstanding neck 25 of the maintenance or guide disk 26. The marginal edge of this disk is clamped between the sections 10 and 12 of the valve casing, as shown in Fig. 2. As a matter of fact, the upper edge of the cylinder is provided with spaced keeper notches 27 to receive keeper lugs 28 proljecting from the marginal portion of the dis r.

Moreover, the passages 25 are defined by a central web 29 in the neck 25. In this way,the valve and its stem is prevented against rotation without interfering with the free slide action. The disk 26 also constitutes a bottom abutment for the aforesaid spring 18 whose convolutions surround the neck 25 at the lower end and surround the collar 17 at the upper end to prevent the convolutions of springs from coming into rubbing contact with the valve stem and interfering with its free action.

There are two bases of contact which is true of every valve, when my valve is in its normal position it makes contact with the wall of the outer casing and is airtight. Then it is in a playable position. This is called the upper position, but when the valve is being depressed to its full length, it again makes contact with the outer wall and becomes airtight and is again playable. This is called the lower position. hen the valve is in any other position, than either the upper or lower position, then the openings in the piston become out of alinement with the outer tubing of the instrument, and this is true of all valves and is not playable.

The novelty of my invention is this hen the old valve travels between the two respective positions, up or down, as the case may be, it continuously travels in friction, but my valve when traveling between the two respective positions, travels entirely in space and is therefore frictionless. When in which contact the interior of the cylinder 10 are the circumferentiallongitudinally spaced ribs 21 and 22, and these are in contact with the wall of the cylinder when the valve is in either its upper or lower positions. When however, the valve is depressed by proper manual pressure, these ribs are forced momentarily out of direct contact with the cylinder and occupy positions in registry with longitudinally spaced flutes or grooves 29 and formed in the internal wall of the cylinder as seen in Fig. 2. At this time, the valve is therefore in the so-called floating position and substantially free of wiping contact with the cylinder. Consequently, when the valve is in motion between either of its positions, it is practically frictionless. This frictionless feature is the cardinal point of novelty in the invention as is obvious.

The same constructional features are disclosed in the arrangement depicted in Fig. 9 except that the spring is at the bottom instead of at the top, the spring being distinguished by the numeral 31. The cap 11 is slightly altered to accommodate this arrangement. Moreover, the valve stem is shortened for the same purpose as is evident. Like parts are, however, designated by like numerals throughout all views of the drawings.

A piston valve of the aforementioned type is applicable to practicable use in function with the desired degree of perfection without permitting leakage of the valve in its two playing positions. The non-rotatable stem mounting and the frictionless ariii rangement constitutes the appreciable structural difference which distinguishes this valve from similar valves.

The present embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in considerable detail merely for the purpose of exemplification since in actual practice it attains the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description.

It is to be understood that by describing in detail herein any particular form, structure or arrangement, it is not intended to limit the invention beyond the terms of the several claims, or the requirements of the prior art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. A valve structure of the class described comprising a cylinder, a spring return manually depressed ported piston valve mounted for reciprocation in said cylinder, the body portion of said valve being of a diameter less than the internal diameter of the bore of the cylinder, and said valve being provided at longitudinally spaced point with circumfer- :1

ential ribs sliding contact with the wall of said bore.

2. A valve structure of the class described comprising a cylinder, a spring return manually depressed ported piston valvemounted for reciprocation in sald cylinder, the body portion of the valve being of a diameter less than the internal diameter of the bore of the cylinder, said valve being provided at longitudinally spaced points with circumferential ribs sliding contact with the wall of said bore, and said wall being formed internally with longitudinally spaced grooves within the vicinity of said ribs when the valve is in normal position, whereby when the valve is depressed, said ribs move into the path of said grooves to provide a substantially frictionless valve action.

3. A musical instrument valve construction of the class described comprising a cylinder formed at longitudinally spaced points with circumferential grooves forming clearance recesses, a piston valve mounted in said cylinder and provided with customary ports, the body portion of said Valve being of a diameter less than the bore of the cylinder, said valve having longitudinally spaced circumferentially disposed ribs in sliding contact with the Wall of said bore when the valve is in its normal position, spring means for turning the valve to normal position and holding it in said position, manually depressed stem means connected with the valve for depressing it against the action of the spring means and moving said rib into said clearance recesses for the purpose specified.

4. A musical instrument valve construction of the class described comprising a cylinder formed at longitudinally spaced points with circumferential grooves forming clearance recesses, a piston valve mounted in said cylinder and provided with customary ports, the body portion of said valve being of a diameter less than the bore of the cylinder, said valve having longitudinally spaced circumferentially disposed ribs in sliding contact with the wall of said bore when the valve is in its normal position, spring means for turning the valve to normal position and holding it in said position, manually depressed stem means connected with the valve for depressing it against the action of the spring means and moving said rib into said clearance recesses for the purpose specified, said cylinder being provided at its upper end with guide means, and the stem of said valve being cooperable with said guide means in a manner to prevent rotation, of the valve in the cylinder.

5. A musical instrument valve of the class described comprising a cylinder having closing means at its opposite ends, the wall of the bore of said cylinder being formed at longitudinally spaced points with circumferential grooves defining clearance spaces, a disk secured in the upper end of said cylinder and 

